Sharks-Ducks, Day 9: Fighting the odds after better effort ends up with same result

Never sure if a new post settles things down or only stokes the fire. Guess we’ll have to see.

First, a couple numbers — of the 291 NHL playoff series where teams have started out 0-2, the team trailing has come back to win 12.7 percent of the time. Strangely, in the 66 cases where it was the home team that was trailing as the Sharks are now, 16 have ended up winning the series, or 24.2 percent. Makes no sense to me either.

Most players subscribe to the theory that you take the positives and move on after a loss like Sunday night’s where the Sharks genuinely did improve their play but still came out on the short end. Dan Boyle isn’t one of those players.

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“Some guys have a different attitude,” he said. “I look at it as black and white. We lost the game. I don’t really feel good about stuff. I’m different, but you’ve got to win the game. That’s the bottom line.”

Boyle also was aware of the challenge his team faces after losing the first two games of the series.

“Most teams don’t come back from that,” defenseman Dan Boyle said. “We have to decide if we’re going to be one of those special teams that does.”

Boyle went on to say he thought the Sharks can get it done, but added “we’re going to need our leaders to step up and have everybody else follow.”

Evgeni Nabokov offered this explanation for the shot by Andrew Ebbett that caromed off the goalie’s right pads and into the nets for Anaheim’s second goal.

“I wasn’t able to locate the puck right after it went off the glass,” the goalie said. “I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t get even set. The puck was coming and I couldn’t get away.”

And his assessment of the play of the team in front of him?

“Obviously that’s not what we were hoping for,” Nabokov said. “But again, I thought we played well. We put the puck to the net more, we were working the net. We were going into those dirty areas, but obviously that’s not enough.”

And what happens next?

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“We just have to put all the emotion aside. They have to win four games. We have to go back and we know we’re capable of playing good road games so we just have to continue to do the same thing over and over,” Nabokov said.

Here’s the bulk of Coach Todd McLellan’s comments:

What’s his biggest challenge between now and Game 3?

“Obviously we still have to get the power play going. That would be our biggest concern. But a lot of the big issues we had from game 1 to game 2, we addressed and got better in those areas,” McLellan said. “If we were still in the process-results scenario that we were in all year, the process was pretty good but the results weren’t what we wanted.

On the mood in the room:

“We’re disappointed, but I don’t think the doubt factor has crept in and that’s important. I don’t think there’s any doubt. . . . I think if you went through and asked each of the guys, they’d probably tell you that they’ve been the better team, but they’re not getting the puck luck. You have to give Anaheim credit, they found a way to win and their goaltender came in and played very well.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt. It’s not like we’ve been spanked and we’ve got our tail between our legs. We’ll play the same way, do the same things, create the same number of chances and eventually it’ll go in for us and we’ll continue on.”

He like the job that Marleau-Moen-Setoguchi did on the Getzlaf line and here’s what McLellan had to say about Claude Lemieux’s play:

“We have different ingredients that we can use on that (fourth) line. I like Pepe right now because he’s been there, he’s done it and he’s saying a lot of the right things. Talk is cheap at this time of year, but I thought he performed it, too. We were happy to have him in the lineup. We still have options to tinker with it.

The only thing that soured McLellan mood in the post-game press conference was a question from a blogger who wanted to know what the coach thought of Marleau’s “skipping an optional skate before a game of this magnitude.”

“He didn’t skip an optional skate,” McLellan said. “An optional skate is an optional skate. And a captain and any other player in there, they get to choose. He plays 21 minutes a night and it’s very taxing on him. So don’t go there. He’s not skipping it one bit. You understand?”

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Chris (Boston):
Who is the team that has the best chance of coming back from 2 loses?

SportsNation Scott Burnside: (4:48 PM ET )
I think the Sharks can’t be completely counted out yet. I know, two in a row at home isn’t the best way to start a Cup run, but the Ducks still take too many penalties and they aren’t as deep offensively. So I would say the Sharks. Didn’t Carolina lose the first two games of their first-round series against Montreal in 2006?

Sharkalchemy

Game 3: Judgment Day!

boilerbink

GP: You and Ivano act like you know what you are talking about and are the two smuggest dudes on this board. I don’t insult you , I try and refute both of you because seriously I think you’re ‘Fandom’ gets in the way of the truth. I ask “where are you from” because it’s relevant to what you’ve seen and what you bring in terms of hockey knowledge. Have you played ? What teams and what era did you grow up watching? I’ve told you mine before and will if asked again? I don’t believe you two add anything but ‘talking in circles’ homerisms. If that insults you, apologies….. 😉

boilerbink

Booger: Yeah, and he (Boyle) has actually won a cup and been an important cog ! This must be driving him crazy. As in “What the F..” I thought this team had some grit and moxy. Welcome to the playoffs , San Jose style ,Dan….

Julie In NH

Don’t get me wrong… I like the Sharks. I think they have a lot of talent but where they are on the West Coast and I am on the East, I don’t get to watch them as much as I’d like (the games end really late for me to stay up for).

I have a question for all you guys who get to watch them all the time:

It seems like towards the end of the season they just ran out of steam? Maybe the wear and tear of trying to win the President’s Cup just took it’s toll? Maybe now they feel as though they can take their foot off the gas because they won that?

All that talent seems like right now is just going to waste?

Please don’t blast me! I am just trying to get your opinion to see what you think?

Thanks!
Julie

pcms

TOM…. YOU R THE MAN DUDE

you nailed it pretty good on the situation.
–
championship needs hard works at 120% from the leaders of the team ,specially in the playoff

just look at the roster of the Ducks and the sharks….who looks better on paper…of course the sharks does…. but talks of hard works doesnt mean anything if they are not done on the ice..

goalies——–Naby vs j hiller—so far the rookies won
forwards——ducks vs sharks—-even the 3r and 4th lines of the ducks are outplayed the sharks first 3 lines
defense——ducks vs sharks—–0-12 on the powerplay said everything

coaching—-ducks vs sharks—- 2-0 ducks lead need i say more?

if they wann win game 3 this is the line up

milan-joe-j.r
marleau-joe p.-R.C
moen-goc-grier
c.l-tomas p.-j. mcinn

d.b-blake
m.V-d.murray
b.lu.-c.ehroff

seto that gucci

Sb found this on a blog somewhere, but I thought I’d post it here for all to see. (I hope its true. Please feel free to fact check.)

Pepe played well last night. He had some jump, defensively sound, didn’t take any stupid penalties and was even the recipient of a bad call against the Ducks best penalty killer (Brown).

To those of you doubting the system… The Sharks have been doing this all season. Shots from the point, traffic in front and screens or rebounds get put in the net. It still works. The Sharks just need to work a little harder in front of the net and continue to draw those penalties.

I hate the stop-entry into the zone. I just want to be on record for that.

I think Shelley’s shelved for the rest of the Playoffs. McGinn may make an apperance but not likely. The lineup last night looked good.

jl

what’s with this no worry attitude the sharks got? no panic? no doubt? forget that, it is time to worry. where’s the sense of urgency and desperation? get off your high horse everyone and start winning

Joe

“First, a couple numbers — of the 291 NHL playoff series where teams have started out 0-2, the team trailing has come back to win 12.7 percent of the time. Strangely, in the 66 cases where it was the home team that was trailing as the Sharks are now, 16 have ended up winning the series, or 24.2 percent. Makes no sense to me either.”

It makes plenty of sense to me. The teams that lost the first two games at home in these scenarios are supposed to be the better team in the series. Thus, they are more likely to come back than the teams that start on the road.

One other thing because Purdy brought up how the Ducks aren’t your typical #8 seed. Of course they aren’t…the Blues & Blue Jackets are typical #8 seeds. Scrappy teams that got into the playoffs by maximizing effort, etc, etc. The Ducks finished 8th this year mostly because Giguere sucked. He finished 42nd in GAA, 37th in Sv% compared to Hiller who finished 7th in GAA, 6th in Sv%. If Hiller had played an extra 10-15 games the Ducks would have been fighting with Chicago & Calgary for the #4 seed.

Which is why this talk from Drew Remenda & Randy Hahn about how wonderful it would be to get Anaheim instead of Columbus or St. Louis was ridiculous.

I am disappointed in the start to the playoffs. Beyond disappointed. But I am with those who hang on to hope until the final buzzer sounds. It feels cathartic to rant and rave, and throw things around the living room, but in the end I won’t jump ship until we’re all the way under. …Then it’s back to my original favorite team, the one that does it year after year, the mighty Red Wings.

I agree with those of you who believe that Marleau is playing with an injury. I DON’T agree with those of you who say he should sit. You need defense to win, too, and Marleau’s line held Getzlaf’s off the scoreboard last game. Plus Patrick played well on the pk, another important ingredient needed to win. Unfortunately no one got it done on the power play…

Ivano

Joe
Another reason why the Ducks are #8 seed is because they were hideous at home, which leaves me some hope, at least for tomorrow. Their crowd will lead them to play a more offensive game, and hopefully that means a more open net and more open neutral zone. This can also mean less penalties.

Who the hell knows these days what to expect from the Sharks.

SJ Hockey

In all honesty, the Sharks have not played a quality game since beating Detroit 6-5 back in Jan. They keep saying “there is no pressure, we just have to focus on the next game and win. It takes four wins to move to the next round.”

Are they waiting until they are down three games to zero and losing in the third period of the elimination game to channel the Shark team from last Fall.

I doubt that we’ll see a game in SJ until next Fall.

Hockeynut

What people seem to not realize is that since the beginning of calendar year 2009 the Sharks are only 5 games over .500! The hot start is confusing a lot of fans in to thinking the Sharks are a powerhouse. Since Jan 1, 2009? 28th in 5 on 5 scoring. That means only two teams scored less goals 5 on 5. The Sharks were living (in their 25 wins since Jan 1) by the power play. Now Anaheim has shut down the power play and they have nothing to turn to….Another stat? Last 20 regular season games they scored 18 goals. Less than 2 per game. With “Fivehole” Nabokov not being able to stop pucks between his pads, you’ve GOT to score more than 2 goals per game if you want to win consistently both 5 on 5 and on the powerplay. Lately, they’ve done neither…..chances they will?

glennzky

Boyle said it perfectly: “We’re going to need our leaders to step up and have everybody else follow.” There is the problem with this team. Either Marleau needs to step up and lead this team out of this round or he needs to step aside next season and let someone else lead the team. I’m, unfortunately, betting he won’t get it done. I think you can have either Thornton or Marleau be one of the top players on your team but not both. These guys won’t consistently lead you to victory in the playoffs. If the Sharks had Iginla (or someone with his skill and leadership) instead, they would have already won the Cup.

Hockeynut: 18 goals in 20 games is less than ONE goal per game. Pretty pathetic, I’ll agree.

On Break at Work

I agree to a large degree with #6 (CupCrazy). I’ve been an athlete (individual), competitive performer (team, group), and sports fan throughtout my life, and a loyal Sharks fan since going to my first NHL game the first season at the Cow Palace, and I must say that as someone who has become an all-around hockey fan willing to watch any game at any time, the Sharks come before no other and always will for me. I feel great gratitude for this organization introducing me to a game I’ve come to love to near obsession.

That being said, I’ve learned enough about hockey to know that if this team is exceptionally skilled, I have concerns about the number of giveaways and jumbled or missed passes that occur. Yes, they happen to every team, but it surprises me the extent to which they seem to happen to the Sharks, especially at this stage with a team that works so well together.

As for this being the best team the Sharks have ever had, by regular season standards, yes. But post-season, yes- it’s only two games in, but they’re also two games down. It’s concerning to me (and others as I can tell from reading this blog) that when it counts the most, the team seems to display a rather reactionary and passive attitude as a whole.

It’s as if they don’t really know how to generate the fire for themselves (individually, some guys seem to get it, but collectively, as a team…?). They need to be behind or down in the count before they can get things going, and genuine winning teams don’t wait for the circumstances to get bad before they turn themselves on. They also don’t wait for the good breaks- they make their own.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, they always seem to turn on their fire at the last minute when the reality check occurs that they have something at risk, and sometimes, that last minute has passed before that reality sets in. I’d be really sad to see them miss their minute again this season. It would be nice to see them light the match under their own backsides instead of waiting for circumstances (specifically another team, especially the Ducks) to do it for them.

SanJoseCupCrazy

#85 — Andrew: You’re exactly the type of person I was talking about in my post — firing from behind your keyboard because no one can confront you there. To me, that’s cowardice.

As a matter of fact, I have a very good day job. I won’t go into the details because I hate people who do that in this area, but I’ve been able to afford four very good lower bowl seats for a long time now — we’ll leave it at that.

If you’d like to have a discussion about it, why don’t you come down to Section 123, Row 14, seats 1-4 during Game 5 (there WILL be a Game 5) and have an intellectual discussion about it, if you’re capable of that. I’ll be wearing a white button-down shirt and jeans. We’ll head up at the first intermission, get a beer and you can explain to me why logical, rational thinking = no day job. I’ll be fascinated by your explanation. In the meantime, I’m proud of you for being able to properly spell every word in one poorly organized sentence. Good for you.

Johnny San Jose

SanJoseCupCrazy — I’ll see you on Saturday. I’ll be the one cheering for the Sharks. I too will be wearing jeans. I can’t wait to meet.

I can’t argue or dismiss much of what you said in your #6 post.

Remember… Saturday. Sharks Fan. Jeans. Beer.

bruce

#6 cup grazy…That’s the best post I’ve ever read on his blog, including my own! Good for you. Now that most of the rats have deserted this sinking ship, why do they insist on coming back on board to yak about it? Either you “give up” on the team or you don’t. If you’ve given up then SHUT UP! I’m just glad it’ll be so much quieter in here when the Sharks come back to win this series and shove it up the rats’ a****. Pepe sez, “It’s the best of seven, not the best of two.” Our new motto?

midge

Gotta agree…Boyle’s the only one working in reality here…all the rest: JT, JR, TM, RC, EN…etc, are living in fantasy land…

Sharkalchemy

my hard-on for the Pepe experiment is that it reveals DW’s basic philosophy this year; accumulate former Cup winners at all costs.

boyle, blake, luko…nice pick ups by DW, I understand that. But getting Claude Lemuiex was like admitting your Captain and JT needed the old man around to hold their hands all the way to the Cup. He may yet deliver because he’s being given the opportunity, but at what cost of younger players who could also contribute?

The Ducks youth is performing quite nicely to this point, essentially turning DW’s philosophy on its head. Not something I wished for, just an observation. The Ducks as a former champ allow their youth to come in and contribute while the Sharks have not this year. So while the Ducks have rookies scoring goals and making great saves, the sharks youngster are sitting behind Claude Lemuiex, a virtual representation of the GM’s lack of faith in his team and the philosophy to develop younger players for this year.

Old Dave

# 6

You should read the Gettysburg Address to learn how to make points succinctly There is only so much scrolling people are willing to do.

Mizu001

Right on Victor…….

SanJoseCupCrazy….while I and some others posting on this board might know the finer points of being an NHL coach.. Almost all of us bitching here are TRYING to say that we feel CHEATED….. …CHEATED by the likes of Thorton/Marleau/Nabby whom we carried around on the mantle for so many years only to have them disappear time and time again when it REALLY matters….in the PLAYOFFS

I (and 17,9xx odd fans) was filled with energy to cheer my Sharks after Roenick’s video at the beginning of the game… Heck my 5 year old went bananas yelling for the Sharks after hearing that so much so that I overhead him telling his aunt in the first break…”don’t worry Sharks will score soon”…and to have them those players not lay everything on the line….is nothing but what Ray Ratto of Sportsline put it as……FRAUD…..

Further in his words…”But the Sharks, and we put it to you the Sharks alone, are the team that takes regular-season success, grand expectations and a fan base that until about 16 hours ago loved the team without reservation, and returned almost nothing.”

Maybe Joe Thorton will be more visible with his clothes on and talking to the media….remember Kevin Bacon in “Hollow Man”…..

Ryan

Alright, time to lose all this pessimism. The 2002 Red Wings team went 0-3-2-2 in April prior to the playoffs and still won the Presidents Cup. They lost the first two games to the Vancouver (with Hasek in his prime in net). Yzerman calls the players’ only meeting (hopefully JR can provide that kick in the behind)…Wings win the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.

Plus this pattern:
2002/2006 Stanley Cup winners (Detroit and Carolina) won the cup after losing their first two games.
Then two teams in between won w/out losing their first two games.
So we have this: loser, winner, winner, loser, winner, winner… (2005 there was a lockout).

Granted, Sharks are 99.9% done if they lose tonight, but remember the ’04 Sawx. That’s why people love sports. It’s not scripted. Screw those pessimists. Go Sharks and get some W’s, starting tonight.